Adjustable exercise apparatus simulating a kayak

ABSTRACT

An exercise assembly simulating the muscular movements of a kayaker includes an elongate, generally rectangular seat structure supported on adjustable pedestals that are each resiliently mounted. At the front end an adjustably aligned pivot engages through a U-joint a simulated kayak oar with the motion of the pivot resisted by restricted orifice cylinders mounted in the seat structure. A generally uniform adjustment arrangement is utilized to conform the assembly to the various users and/or various exercise levels.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to exercise structures and moreparticularly to structures focused on exercising the upper torso andabdominal musculature of a person by simulating the rowing motions of akayak at enhanced force levels resulting from an adjustable rearwardtilt of the user's body alignment.

2. Description of the Prior Art

The exponential growth of automation has long surpassed nature's abilityto adjust our habits, committing virtually all of us to a sedentarylifestyle both in the course of our work and also at home where weengage in our repose the various entertainment modalities. As aconsequence obesity is now a significant health hazard exacerbated byincreases in heart disease, diabetes and similar conditions that reduceboth the quality and also the expected length of human life. Simply,these lifestyle changes are occurring at a rate that cannot beaccommodated by the slow evolutionary responses provided by nature andone more looming catastrophe is perceived by each of us as we each makethese indelible and pervasive observations. The impetus to beginexercising is therefore all around us.

These widely perceived observations along with the persistent naturethat brought us all here has also resulted in all sorts of exercisemechanisms that singularly and/or in various groupings allow us to focuson one or more aspects of our musculature along with other processesincluding those entailed in our cardiovascular function, metabolicprocesses and the like. Concurrently, our attention to correct exerciseis now also perceived as an effective mechanism for managing stress andhas therefore pervaded our whole lifestyle with various exercisemechanisms that are not just suitable for large exercise facilities likegymnasiums, but also for use in ones home.

One physical activity that is universally associated with robust healthis that of kayaking. The image of navigating down the rapids of amountain stream while maintaining balance by one's mid torso musculatureis correctly seen as good for one's health and as result variouskayaking simulators have been devised which in one manner or anotherseek to duplicate this activity, as exemplified by the teachings of U.S.Pat. Nos. 6,328,677 issued on Dec. 11, 2001 to Drapeau; 6,106,436 issuedon Aug. 22, 2000 to Lundahl; 5,803,876 issued on Sep. 8, 1998 toHickman; 5,624,357 issued on Apr. 27, 1997 to Englehart et al.;4,687,197 issued on Aug. 18, 1987 to this inventor together with BengtSwesson, and others.

Each of the foregoing examples, and similar others, while suitable forthe purposes intended, describe a kayak simulating structure in whichthe user is well supported on a stationary seat and from that vantagemoves a kayak paddle against weights or other force inducing resistance.Thus while providing a simple and compact exercise structure theforegoing examples confine the major exercise efforts to the arms,shoulders and the upper torso while the abdomen and the lower back areleft unattended.

An exercise structure that takes benefit of the simplicity of a kayakand that also completely involves the mid torso musculature of the useris therefore extensively desired and it is one such structure that isdisclosed herein.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, it is the general purpose and object of the presentinvention to provide a kayak simulating exercise structure in which onlythe user's lower legs are securely restrained while the remaining bodyportions are all free for involvement in the simulated paddle motion.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a kayak simulatingexercise structure in which the torso of the user can be aligned atvarious inclinations.

Yet additional, further and other objects of the invention shall becomeapparent from the examination of the teachings that follow inconjunction with the illustrations appended.

Briefly, these and other objects are accomplished within the presentinvention by providing a generally elongate longitudinal seat supportedon transverse, cushion mounted, pedestals at its front and rear end witheach of the pedestals adjustably extendable to select the desired seatinclination from horizontal. The seat itself may be formed as agenerally U-sectioned structure defined by two lateral walls on thesides of a supporting panel covered by a cushioning pad on which anexercising user may sit with his or her lower back supported by anadjustably mounted lower back support pillow while the user's legsextend over the front edge of the seat.

At the front end this elongate seat structure is adjustably engaged to agenerally vertical bearing assembly pivotally mounted between the wallsof a U-sectioned mounting bracket to support at various inclinationstherein a bearing yoke engaged to the exterior of a telescoping shaftassembly that at its free upper end includes a U-joint that is engagedto the midpoint of the kayak paddle shaft. The lower end of thetelescoping shaft assembly, in turn, extends beyond the bearing yokewithin the hollow interior of the seat structure to engage at the endsof two radially opposed bellcranks mounted thereon the respective endsof a pair of gas filled, orifice restricted struts which then providethe resistance to the paddle movement at the upper end.

The deployment of the foregoing articulated paddle mount at the frontedge of the seat results in a split seat surface on the sides thereof onwhich the thigh portions of the user's legs are positioned with thelower leg portions then extending onto a pair of foot rests on theadjustably engaged front support pedestal. This arrangement provides aninterlocking engagement between the user's legs and the seat structurewhile the remaining body portions including the torso of the user aresupported by the narrow seat surface restrained against rearward motionby the lower back support pillow. In this manner most of the user's bodyis effectively unrestrained as he or she reaches upwards and forwards toarticulate the paddle from the rearwardly weight biased inclinedalignment set by the adjustment of the adjustment of the cushion mountedsupport pedestals.

Within its limits this resilient mounting, of course, can be stabilizedby the forces associated with the articulation of the paddle can then beenhanced both by adding inertia mass to the paddle ends and by theselectively connected restricted orifice struts engaged to the lower endof the paddle shaft and aligned within the interior cavity formed by theseat structure. In this manner an exercise assembly is provided in whichvarious levels of resistance can be set and which effectively modifiesthe levels of involvement of the whole torso musculature by the simpleinclination adjustment of the frame. All this is achieved without thejoint degrading consequences associated with walking or jogging or thetendon damage that sometimes results from lifting weights.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective illustration of the inventive kayak simulatingexercise structure in its inclined alignment;

FIG. 2. is a sectional view of the inventive exercise structure takenalong line 2-2 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is yet another sectional view of the inventive exercise structuretaken along line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

As shown in FIGS. 1 through 3 the inventive kayak simulating exercisestructure generally designated by the numeral 10 comprises an elongateseat structure 11 defined by a generally U-sectioned elongate spinepiece 12 comprising two opposed lateral wall surfaces 12-1 and 12-2bridged by a top surface 12T that is then covered by a padding layer12P. The interior cavity in the spine piece 12 that is thus formedreceives in a selectively adjustable engagement the top of a transverserear pedestal 14, the adjustable connection thereof to the side walls12-1 and 12-2 being effected by pivot posts 14P spaced from a row ofopenings 14 o one of which is then selectively fixed by a bolt 14B, thusdetermining the seat height relative the resilient support pads SP atthe bottom thereof.

A similarly constructed front pedestal assembly 24, again pinned bypivot posts 24P and aligned by them capture of bolt 24B in one of theplural openings 24 o, provides the front support for the assembly, againcushioned by the resilient pads SP. This front support, however, extendssubjacent the front edge of the seat over which the legs of the user aredraped and therefore includes a foot rest panel 25 again adjustablymounted relative the front pedestal 24 by selective engagement ofattachment bolts 25B within one of the several openings 25 o. Alsoadjustably mounted to the front end 12E of the seat structure is agenerally vertical U-sectioned support bracket 15 extending through thetop surface 12T to pivotally mount a bearing yoke or collar 16 in whicha tubular exterior sleeve 17E of a telescoping mount 17 is received forrotation while axially restrained within the bearing yoke by an upperand lower retaining ring 17U and 17L.

With the feet now supported on the foot rest panel 25 and aligned oneither side of the front edge 12E of the resulting seat structure, asbisected by the U-shaped support bracket 15, the axial telescopingextension of the inner shaft 171 may be fixed to the desired height byinserting a pin 17P through the common interior of a set of openings 17o in the exterior sleeve 17E and one of several drillings 17D in theinner shaft. The shaft inclination, in turn, is concurrently fixed byselective engagement of pins 15P in one of several openings 15 o in thewalls of bracket 15 and a corresponding opening 180 in an adjustmentfixture 18 on shaft assembly 17. Of course, the pivotal articulation ofthe bearing yoke 16 may also be left unrestrained for expanded exerciseuse in the manner of symmetrical rowing as in rowing a boat.

The lower portion of the exterior sleeve 17E forming the telescopingshaft assembly 17 that extends into the interior cavity within the seatstructure includes a set of opposed, radially projecting bellcranks 17Beach engaging at its free end a corresponding end of one of a pair ofconventional gas filled, orifice restricted, struts 19 such as thosesold under part no. 171BEQ by Magnus Mobility Systems, Inc., 1912 WestBusiness Center Dr., Orange, Calif. 92867 which at their other ends areeach respectively pinned to one of a plurality of openings 190 in atransverse bracket 19B spanning between the side walls 12W. In thismanner the torsional forces about the rotary axis of the shaft assembly17 or the resistive forces opposing the pivotal movement of the bearingyoke 16 are conveniently adjusted to match the level of effort desired.

Once thus adjusted the a paddle assembly 30 engaged to a U-joint 37 atthe free end of the interior shaft 171 provides the necessary exerciseforces to the user sitting on seat pad 12P with the legs straddling themount assembly 15. From this relatively unrestrained position the user,while sitting on seat pad 12P restraining only his or her legs over theseat edge and in the foot rests providing positional control, reaches toextend his or her arms to grasp the paddle 30 on each side of theU-joint 37 and only through that connection obtains any forceresistance. To provide some positional reference a seat back cushion 36may be adjustably mounted, again by bolts 36B engaging one of severalopenings 36 o, on the seat pad 12P.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the elongate form of thespine piece 12 and the also the seat pad 12P mounted thereon providelittle lateral support to the user, thus confining all position controlto the leg engagement between the seat edge and the foot rests 25. Withthis limited body engagement virtually all of the abdominal musculature,the musculature of the lower back and also the musculature of the chestand upper back are all involved in maintaining a proper seated positionas the paddle 30 is cyclically articulated. This muscular involvementbecomes even more exacerbated by the resistance of the struts 19 and theresilience of the support pads SP.

In each instance the desired muscular involvement levels obtained by theadjustment of the seat inclination from the horizontal, the alignment ofthe pivot axis, the bellcrank moment arm selection and/or the massesmounted on the oar all interact with resilient compliance of supportpads SP to simulate the interactive dynamics of the torso-kayakcombination. As these inclinations from horizontal are effected,however, the resulting rearward movement of the body center of mass maytranslate rearwardly and to oppose this movement a lower back supportpillow 36 may be once again adjustably engaged to the spine piece 12 bythe mechanism previously described. In this manner the rearward slidingof the user's lower back is limited without any significant lateralrestraint.

It will be appreciated that the foregoing arrangement accommodatesvarious body types and levels of exercise by the repeated application ofa simple adjustment selection to produce a structure that effectivelyretains the general attributes of kayaking in which most of the user'sbody are laterally unconstrained while vigorous movements are carriedout both against various (enhanced) levels of resistance andinclinations that themselves enhance the exercise levels. To furtherextend these enhancements the paddle 30 may be provided with weights 30Wand may include offset handles 30H to allow the exercising of bicepswhich is particularly effective when the pivotal motion of the yoke isunrestrained. In each instance, like in the course of rowing a kayak,small muscular adjustments are continuously made, thus closely imitatingthe real event. As result an interest to perfect the movements isdeveloped, promoting the usefulness of the exercise structure whichinherently is simple and inexpensive to produce.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the instant invention canbe effected without departing from the spirit of the teachings herein.It is therefore intended that the scope of the invention be determinedsolely by the claims appended hereto.

1. An exercise assembly useful in simulating the muscular movements ofrowing a kayak, comprising in combination: an elongate seat defined by afront and a rear end, said front end including a generally transverseedge; a corresponding mount assembly respectively engaged to supportsaid front and rear ends of said seat, the engagement of a selected oneof said mount assemblies to said seat including adjustment means foradjusting the inclination of said seat; an axle defined by an upper anda lower end adjustably engaged to said front end of said seat; a handlehinged to the upper end of said of said axle; and resistance meansoperatively connected to said handle for resisting the displacementthereof.
 2. An exercise assembly according to claim 1, wherein: saidresistance means is deployed subjacent said seat for adjustableengagement to said lower end of said axle.
 3. An exercise assemblyaccording to claim 2, wherein: each said mount assembly includes aresilient support
 4. An exercise assembly according to claim 3, furthercomprising: a pair of foot rests adjustably deployed subjacent saidtransverse edge.
 5. An exercise assembly according to claim 4, furthercomprising: a back support selectively engaged to said seat.
 6. Anexercise assembly according to claim 2, wherein: said elongate seatincludes a pair of side walls and an upper surface joined to define aninterior cavity; and said resistance means is deployed within saidinterior cavity.
 7. An exercise assembly according to claim 6, wherein:each said mount assembly includes a resilient support
 8. An exerciseassembly according to claim 7, further comprising: a pair of foot restsadjustably deployed subjacent said transverse edge.
 9. An exerciseassembly according to claim 8, further comprising: a back supportselectively engaged to said seat.
 10. An exercise assembly, comprisingin combination: an elongate seat defined by a front and a rear end; amount assembly respectively supporting each said front and rear ends ofsaid seat, a selected one of said mount assemblies being adjustablyengaged to said seat for adjusting the inclination thereof; a pivotdefined by an upper and a lower end adjustably engaged to said front endof said seat; a handle hinged to the upper end of said of said pivot;and resistance means connected to the lower end of said pivot forresisting the displacement of said handle.
 11. An exercise assemblyaccording to claim 10, wherein: said elongate seat includes a pair ofside walls and an upper surface joined to define an interior cavity; andsaid resistance means is deployed within said interior cavity.
 12. Anexercise assembly according to claim 11, wherein: said resistance meansincludes a restricted orifice cylinder.
 13. An exercise assemblyaccording to claim 10, wherein: each said mount assembly includes aresilient support
 14. An exercise assembly according to claim 13,further comprising: a pair of foot rests adjustably deployed subjacentsaid transverse edge.
 15. An exercise assembly according to claim 14,further comprising: a back support selectively engaged to said seat.